Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set

by Kristen Middleton

  “For what?” he asked, glancing at me in his rearview mirror.

  “Everything. For being there for me every time I’ve needed you. Starting from that very first time we met. When I rear-ended you.”

  His eyes sparkled. “Too bad I couldn’t have been there for you when you were learning how to drive.”

  19

  Bryce

  When Bryce made it back to the marina, Paige and Billie were nowhere to be found.

  “Billie!” he hollered, stepping away from the SUV. “Paige!”

  He heard a faint cry on the other side of the marina where some of the larger boats were docked, and immediately took off toward the sound. When he arrived, he found Paige, Billie, and a dead woman’s bloody corpse lying nearby.

  “Thank God,” cried Paige, who was crouched down next to Billie.

  “What happened?!” hollered Bryce, rushing over to him. “Oh shit, were you bit?”

  He was lying on his side with blood seeping out of a wound on his neck. “Yeah,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

  Bryce took off his T-shirt and pressed it against Billie’s neck. He looked at Paige. “What happened to him?”

  She swallowed. “When you were on the boat, about five zombies appeared out of nowhere, surprised the crap out of us. I think they were heading toward the river like the other ones, you know? Anyway, we ran away from them and back here. Then, when we were about to get back into the SUV, Billie thought he heard a baby crying so we both rushed over here.”

  “Zombies?”

  “Yeah, well, two of them were on this woman,” she said, her eyes full of tears. “It was,” she shuddered, “horrible and too late, you know?”

  “So, how did they get Billie?”

  “Well, he slipped on the wet dock and they...” she closed her eyes and began to cry, “they pounced on him before he could shoot or I could do anything to stop them.”

  “What happened to the zombies?” he asked, looking around.

  “I… I… killed them,” she said, opening her eyes. “And pushed them into the water.”

  “It’s so hot,” whispered Billie, his face pale. “My skin feels like it’s on fire.”

  “You’re going to be okay,” said Bryce, forcing a smile. “We’re going to bring you back with us and get this little wound of yours taken care of. It’s really not that bad.”

  “No,” whispered Billie, grabbing Bryce’s wrist. “Too… dangerous. I can already feel the virus spreading through my veins.”

  “Don’t argue,” said Bryce. “You’re going to be fine. Cassie beat this thing, and so will you.”

  Billie’s eyes began to close. “Save the baby,” he whispered.

  Bryce’s eyebrows shot up. “Baby, what baby?”

  “On the boat…”

  “Hold this,” he said to Paige, motioning toward the shirt.

  She nodded and took over while Bryce stood up and walked toward the Carver.

  “I don’t think there’s a baby around here, guys,” said Bryce, climbing onto the deck.

  And that’s when they both heard it, a faint cry from somewhere inside the cabin.

  Bryce opened up the door and disappeared inside. Seconds later he reappeared, his face full of shock. In his arms was a bundle of what was obviously more than just a pile of blankets.

  “Oh, my God,” gasped Paige, when the baby began to cry, its little arms flailing angrily.

  Bryce sighed. “Yeah. A baby.”

  “Crap, what are we going to do?”

  “I’m going to give you the baby and make sure you two get back to the vehicle safely. Then I’ll come back for Billie, before the rain gets any worse.”

  “Is it safe?” she asked, staring down at Billie.

  Bryce’s lips thinned. “I don’t know. But we just can’t leave him. He’s alive right now. Plus, he’s one of us. We’re not leaving anyone behind.”

  “You could tie him up somehow,” said Paige standing.

  He smiled grimly. “Good thinking.”

  She held out her arms and Bryce placed the infant into them. “Oh,” she smiled, staring down at the small baby, who couldn’t have been more than a couple months old, “she’s so sweet.”

  “How do you know it’s a she?” asked Bryce, kneeling down next to Billie.

  Paige kissed the baby’s forehead. “Because,” she said, softening her voice, “she obviously cries when you hold her and now that I’ve got her, she’s content. You have that effect on women.”

  Bryce rolled his eyes.

  “See, she’s smiling at me,” said Paige.

  “What do we need for the baby?” he asked. “Don’t babies need diapers and milk or something?”

  “Diapers and formula,” said Paige. “We’re going to have to pick some up somewhere.”

  “I’ll search the boat after everyone is safe. Let’s get you both to the SUV first.”

  They were back on the road thirty minutes later, with Billie restrained in the back with buoy rope.

  “They had a first-aid kit,” said Bryce. “I put some iodine on his neck and bandaged it up. He’s got a fever, though, and I couldn’t find any aspirin.”

  “What about things for the baby?”

  “Well, there was only a handful of diapers and I couldn’t find any formula on the boat. We’re still going to have to stop somewhere.”

  “We need a car seat, too,” said Paige, staring down at the baby, who was sleeping. “It’s against the law to be traveling like this.”

  Bryce snorted. “What law?”

  “I know, but we still need it. It’s safer.”

  They found a small grocery store on the edge of town, which appeared quiet and free of zombies.

  “Stay out here with her. I’ll be back,” said Bryce, grabbing the gun.

  “What if he changes into a zombie?” she whispered.

  “He’s tied up. Even if he does, he can’t get to you.”

  Paige sighed. “Poor Billie.”

  “He might make it through this. Don’t give up hope just yet.”

  “God, I hope you’re right.”

  “I’ll get some peroxide for his wound and more bandages. Obviously they won’t have any car seats, but they’ll hopefully have formula.”

  “We can always find another vehicle with a car seat,” she said, looking hopeful.

  “Keep a lookout for one then.”

  Bryce got out of the SUV and Paige watched as he ran into the store through the rain. Unfortunately, even from this distance, she could tell that the place had already been ransacked by other survivors. She hoped none of them had babies.

  “What’s your name, little one?” she whispered, staring down at the sleeping baby. “I guess you’re too young to tell me.”

  “Paige,” mumbled Billie, from the back.

  She stiffened up. “Uh, yeah, Billie?”

  “Why are my hands tied?”

  “You were bit by a zombie, remember?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Billie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’ve felt better.”

  “Um, you were right about the baby.”

  “What baby?” he asked, struggling to sit up.

  She turned around. “The baby on the boat. Don’t you remember?”

  “No.”

  The only thing he could remember was getting bitten by the zombie and then the intense heat. Even now he could still feel the fire raging through his veins.

  “You don’t look so good.”

  “I feel like shit. Do you have any water?”

  “No, but we’re at a grocery store. Bryce should be back in a few minutes.”

  Billie turned and stared at the building. “He went in alone?”

  “Well, I certainly couldn’t go in with the baby.”

  “You could have left the baby in here.”

  Not with you, she thought. After what had happened to Austin, there was no way she was going to take any
chances around Billie.

  “Looks like he found what we needed,” she said, relieved to see Bryce leaving the store with a large box of diapers and a bag.

  “Hey, bro,” said Bryce, opening up the back of the SUV. “How are you feeling?”

  “Not good.”

  “Fortunately for you, I found some pain medication and a bottle of seltzer water. Everything else was pretty much picked over by looters.”

  “Looks like the looters didn’t need diapers,” said Paige.

  “Or formula,” said Bryce, setting down the bag. “I wasn’t sure which kind to get so I grabbed a couple different kinds along with some plastic bottles. Oh, and wet-wipes.”

  Paige glanced down at the baby, who was beginning to get restless. “Um, I have a feeling we’re going to need a lot of things. Things we’re forgetting. Well, my mom will know what to do once we get the baby back to her.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” said Bryce. “I still remember when Bobby was a baby, seems like we went through diapers and formula like water. Speaking of which, I did find some distilled water in the back of the store. I’ll have to go back for it.”

  “Bryce, you gotta untie me, man.”

  He sighed. “I just can’t. It’s for everyone’s safety.”

  “Dammit, I’m not turning into one of them,” he snapped. “Take off the rope!”

  Paige and Bryce looked at each other. It was obvious that Billie was already showing signs of aggression.

  “Settle down. We have to wait until we get back to the house,” said Bryce.

  Billie clenched his jaw. “This is bullshit.”

  “Sorry. Here,” he said, opening up the bottle of pills. “Take a couple of these and try to sleep. Your body needs it.”

  “Fine,” said Billie, opening up his mouth.

  Bryce quickly pushed the pills in and then opened up the seltzer water. “You’re going to be all right.”

  “She’s getting mad up here,” said Paige as the baby began to fret. “We need to mix some formula.”

  Bryce nodded. “Okay,” I’ll be back.” Then he closed the back of the SUV and ran back toward the store.

  “Paige,” said Billie. “I have to pee.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Bryce when he was still here?”

  “Because I wasn’t thinking about it at the time.”

  “Sorry, you’re going to have to hold it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What the heck do you want me to do about it?” she snapped back. “I have to take care of… Adria here.”

  “Adria?”

  “Yeah, the baby. She needs a name and that one seems to suit her,” she said, staring into the baby’s blue eyes. A smile spread across her plump cheeks and Paige grinned back. “I think you like that name, don’t you, sweetie?”

  “Paige, I really need to go.”

  “Bryce will be back in a flash. Hold it.”

  “Jesus, you two are both being totally unreasonable.”

  She turned back. “No, you are. You’d do the same thing in our position. I mean, seriously, you’re being irrational right now.”

  Billie didn’t reply, he just laid his head against the back window and stared out into the night.

  The rain began to pick up again as Bryce pushed a cart filled with five jugs of water toward the SUV.

  “Billie has to pee,” said Paige, when he opened the back.

  Bryce sighed. “Okay. Let me load this stuff and then I’ll help you.”

  “Just untie me and I’ll do it myself,” said Billie.

  “We already went through this,” replied Bryce.

  “Dude, you’re not going to help me pee. It’s just not going to happen.”

  Bryce sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Look, I’ll untie you for this but after that, we have to restrain you again.”

  “Fine,” said Billie, glaring at him.

  Bryce pulled out his knife and began cutting Billie’s rope. “Good thing I brought extra.”

  “Bryce! Look out behind you!” yelled Paige.

  Two zombies were staggering toward him in the parking lot. He quickly turned around and rushed the zombies, stabbing the first one in the head. Before he could get to the second one, Billie appeared by his side with a long wrench and smashed it against the zombie’s skull.

  “Thanks,” said Bryce, as the zombie slumped forward.

  “See, if I was turning into one of these, I’d be going after you and not those zombies.”

  “Right. Uh, why don’t you go behind that car and pee while I get the formula to Paige.”

  Billie nodded and walked away.

  “What do you think?” asked Paige, when Bryce got back to the SUV. “Is it safe to let him go unrestrained?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not.”

  When Billie made it back to the truck, he ignored the trunk compartment and sat behind Paige. “Let’s go.”

  Bryce sighed. “We have to tie you up, man. Sorry.”

  “No. I’m not going to agree to that. Either you trust me or leave me the hell here.”

  Bryce and Paige looked at each other.

  “For the love of God, just relax. I’m not going to bite you guys. Aren’t you the one that said Cassie pulled through?”

  “Yeah, but Eva didn’t,” said Paige. “And either did Austin. Both of them became hostile and angry. Kind of like you’re doing right now, Billie.”

  He smiled humorlessly. “Wow, Paige. Thanks for stomping out any bright hope I may have had for my future.”

  “Well, it’s the truth,” she mumbled.

  Bryce rubbed his forehead. “Look, fine, we’ll keep you untied. But if you feel like you’re losing your grip on reality, let us know, will you?”

  Billie snorted and then looked out the window. “I’ve felt like that before any zombie ever got to me.”

  “How’s your neck feeling?” asked Bryce, starting the engine.

  “It still hurts like a son-of-a-bitch. But it’s a little more manageable now that the pills are kicking in.”

  “Good,” he replied.

  “You never told us what happened on the yacht,” said Paige.

  He pulled out of the parking lot and zigzagged around a couple of zombies. “They weren’t there, but some friends of theirs were.”

  “Did they happen to tell you where Steve and Irene are?” she asked.

  He ran a hand through his wet hair. “Yeah, they left for Atlanta about three weeks ago.”

  “No shit?” asked Billie.

  “No shit. This entire trip is basically a waste of time.”

  “Only if Nora doesn’t find her father,” said Billie.

  “Exactly,” he replied. “Let’s hope she does.”

  20

  Allie and Kylie

  “How is Travis doing all of this?” asked Allie, staring out the window of the semi as more zombies arrived to join the others. “And what in the heck is wrong with Justice?”

  “I have no idea,” said Kylie. “But there’s one thing for certain…”

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore?”

  “That and we’re in a crap-load of trouble. This guy is obviously dangerous. I actually think that he has some kind of hypnotic power over the zombies and Justice.”

  “He must, but how could he?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s not human.”

  Allie smiled humorlessly. “Maybe he’s some kind of angel who’s come to save us all from the zombies.”

  “Or maybe he’s from the other place and wants to take over the world.”

  Allie started laughing but stopped when she noticed that Kylie was serious. The hair stood up on the back of her neck as she thought about everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

  Obviously, at this point, anything was possible.

  “So, um, you really think he’s the Devil or something?”

  “I… don’t know, maybe,” she said, her eyes full of fear.

  “He’s been nice, though. I
mean if he was Satan, wouldn’t he have tried killing us or something?”

  “Or, he’d try to use us somehow,” whispered Kylie, as if Travis could actually hear them from outside.

  “Not me,” she whispered back. “I won’t let him.”

  They stared at Travis, who was still talking to the zombies, although they couldn’t hear what he was saying. They’d shut the windows when the stench of the dead had become too much to handle.

  Allie licked her lips. “Kylie, how are we going to get out of here?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I wonder if we could sneak away while the zombies are like this? They seem really into what Travis is saying.”

  “I can’t believe they’re actually listening to him.”

  “I know, but seriously, now would be a good time to leave.”

  “I don’t know if we should take that chance. Plus, we can’t leave Justice.”

  “Justice has obviously left the building.”

  “No, I think if we can just get him alone, we can bring him back to reality,” said Kylie.

  “I hope so.”

  Just then, Travis stopped talking and the zombies began to disperse.

  “What’s going on now?” whispered Allie, as Travis climbed off of the truck. “Where are they going?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Travis opened the passenger door of the truck and smiled. “Time to get out, ladies.”

  “Um, we’d like to stay inside, if you don’t mind,” said Kylie.

  He stared at them for a few seconds and then nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

  “How did you do that?” sputtered Allie.

  His eyes twinkled. “Do what?”

  She waved toward the zombies. “Talk to them. Get them to come here?”

  He leaned forward. “Because I have been chosen to prepare this part of the world.”

  Kylie’s eyes narrowed. “Prepare this part of the world? For what?”

  He sighed, impatiently. “I have been chosen by my Master to prepare the world for the day of his arrival.”

  “Whose arrival?” asked Allie, her heart hammering in her chest.

  He smiled darkly. “Lucifer, child. Who else?”

  21

  Cassie